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Blunted on Reality

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{{Infobox album

| name = Blunted on Reality

| type = studio

| artist = Fugees

| cover = Blunted_On_Reality.jpg

| alt =

| border = yes

| released = January 25, 1994

| recorded = June 1992 – June 1993

| venue =

| studio =

| genre = Hip hop

| length = {{Duration|m=70|s=50}}

| label = Ruffhouse

| producer = {{hlist|Pras| Wyclef Jean|Khalis Bayyan|Salaam Remi|Brand X|Stephen Walker|Rashad Muhammad}}

| prev_title =

| prev_year =

| next_title = The Score

| next_year = 1996

| misc = {{Singles

| name = Blunted on Reality

| type = Studio album

| single1 = Boof Baf

| single1date = October 19, 1993

| single2 = Nappy Heads

| single2date = February 1, 1994

| single3 = Vocab

| single3date = October 18, 1994

}}

}}

Blunted on Reality is the debut studio album released by the American hip-hop group Fugees. The album was released in January 1994 through the Ruffhouse Records label. Three singles were released from the album, including ”Boof Baf”, ”Nappy Heads” and ”Vocab”.

Blunted on Reality received generally favorable reviews from music critics. In the United Kingdom the album has been certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry. It was followed up with the critically acclaimed second and final album, The Score in 1996.

Background

Blunted on Reality was written and subsequently recorded by the group in 1992-93. However, following a long dispute with their record label, the album was not released until January 25, 1994.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/CMJ/1994/|title=Upcoming Releases|magazine=CMJ New Music Report|date=January 24, 1994}}

Most versions of the album contain eighteen tracks, with the addition of a remix of "Nappy Heads". Prior to the release of the album, "Boof Baf" was released as the album's lead single. Commercially, the single was unsuccessful, The album's highest-charting single is "Nappy Heads", which peaked at number 49 on the Billboard Hot 100. "Vocab" was released as the album's third and final single. However, the song was not successful on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

The album was recorded at the House of Music Studios in West Orange, New Jersey.Coleman, Brian (2007). p. 213. The Fugees have subsequently said that they allowed the producers to have too much control over the album's content and form.Ebony. November 1996. p. 72. Accessed from May 31, 2013.

Themes

While Blunted on Reality does not contain nearly as many overtly political lyrics as The Score, the album is still political. Wyclef Jean described the meaning of the title of the album in a 1994 interview on the topical talk show program, Lorna's Corner:

“When the cop is messing around with somebody for something that the person didn’t do and they try to set ‘em up, that makes me blunted on reality. When the government is taking money on arms…and that money could be going back to the community it makes me blunted on reality. It’s just awareness of what’s going on…that’s what blunted on reality means…It don’t mean that I smoke weed…cause I’m too paranoid as it is.”{{Cite episode|title=The Fugees|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fiz3BsYk0NY|series=Lorna's Corner|network=Hartford Public Access TV|airdate=1990|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160511203106/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fiz3BsYk0NY|archive-date=2016-05-11|url-status=live}}

Reception

Before the release of their critically acclaimed sophomore album, The Score in 1996, the album sold an estimated 12,000 copies. Since then, the album has sold roughly 130,000 copies in the United States.Vibe. Vol. 4, No. 5. June–July 1996. p. 75. Accessed from May 31, 2013.

{{Music ratings

| subtitle = Initial reviews (in 1994/1995)

| rev1 = Christgau's Consumer Guide

| rev1score = {{Rating-Christgau|hm1}}{{cite web |url=http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=Fugees |title=Robert Christgau: CG: Fugees |publisher=Robertchristgau.com |access-date=2012-06-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120614055752/http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=Fugees |archive-date=2012-06-14 |url-status=live }}

| rev2 = Melody Maker

| rev2score = (favorable){{cite web |url=http://www.tower.com/blunted-on-reality-fugees-cd/wapi/106949396 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090212235107/http://www.tower.com/blunted-on-reality-fugees-cd/wapi/106949396 |url-status=dead |archive-date=2009-02-12 |title=Music: Blunted on Reality (1st Album) (CD) by Fugees (Tranzlator Crew) |publisher=Tower.com |date=1996-07-01 |access-date=2012-01-16 }}

| rev3 = The New York Times

| rev3score = (favorable){{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/01/05/arts/the-pop-life-591095.html |title=The Pop Life - New York Times |work=The New York Times |date=1995-01-05 |access-date=2012-01-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120321224026/http://www.nytimes.com/1995/01/05/arts/the-pop-life-591095.html |archive-date=2012-03-21 |url-status=live }}

| rev4 = Q

| rev4score = {{Rating|4|5}}

| rev5 = Rhapsody

| rev5score = (favorable){{cite web |author=Bwinning |url=http://www.rhapsody.com/fugees/blunted-on-reality |title=Blunted on Reality : Fugees |publisher=Rhapsody |date=1994-02-01 |access-date=2012-01-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101125073815/http://www.rhapsody.com/fugees/blunted-on-reality |archive-date=2010-11-25 |url-status=live }}

| rev6 = Select

| rev6score = {{rating|3|5|full=U+25A0.svg|empty=U+25A1.svg|rating=medal}}{{cite magazine|first=Adam|last=Higginbotham|url=https://selectmagazinescans.monkeon.co.uk/showpage.php?file=wp-content/uploads/2014/07/albums22.jpg|title=New Albums|work=Select|date=March 1994|page=74|access-date=2024-12-15|author-link=Adam Higginbotham}}

| rev7 = The Source

| rev7score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{cite magazine|last=Johnson|first=Brett|date=March 1994|issue=54|title=Fugees (Tranzlator Crew) – Blunted on Reality|department=Record Report|magazine=The Source|pages=71–72|location=New York}}

| rev8 = Vibe

| rev8score = (favorable)

}}

{{Music ratings

| subtitle = Retrospective reviews (after 1994/1995)

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1score = {{Rating|2.5|5}}{{cite web|last=Birchmeier |first=Jason |url={{AllMusic|class=album |id=r203134 |pure_url=yes}} |title=Blunted on Reality - Fugees : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards |website=AllMusic |date=1994-02-01 |access-date=2012-06-14}}

| rev2 = Pitchfork

| rev2score = 7.6/10{{Cite web|title=Blunted on Reality {{!}} Pitchfork|url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/22566-blunted-on-reality/amp/|access-date=2021-05-18|website=Pitchfork}}

| rev3 = Rolling Stone

| rev3score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lRgtYCC6OUwC&q=Fugees+Blunted+on+Reality+review&pg=PA316 |title=The new Rolling Stone album guide - Nathan Brackett, Christian David Hoard - Google Boeken |isbn=9780743201698 |access-date=2012-01-16|last1=Brackett |first1=Nathan |last2=Hoard |first2=Christian David |year=2004 }}

| rev4 = Yahoo! Music

| rev4score = (favorable)[http://ca.music.yahoo.com/release/179576] {{dead link|date=January 2012}}

}}

Track listing

class="wikitable"
style="text-align:center;"|#

! Title

! Producer(s)

! Performer(s)

1

|"Introduction"

|

|Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean & Pras Michel

2

|"Nappy Heads"

|Brand X, Pras, Rashad Muhammad & Wyclef Jean

|Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean & Pras Michel

#[https://versetracker.com/rapper/saynt-la ]

|3

|"Blunted" (Interlude)/"Blunted On Reality" (unlisted)

|Pras & Wyclef Jean; Co-Producer: Khalis Bayyan

|Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean & Pras Michel

4

|"Recharge"

|Khalis Bayyan, Pras & Wyclef Jean

|Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean & Pras Michel

5

|"Freestyle" (Interlude)

|

|Wyclef Jean & Pras Michel

6

|"Vocab"

|Pras & Wyclef Jean

|Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean & Pras Michel

7

|"Special News Bulletin" (Interlude)

|Khalis Bayyan, Wyclef Jean & Pras Michel

|Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean & Pras Michel

8

|"Boof Baf"

|Khalis Bayyan, Pras & Wyclef Jean

|Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean, Pras Michel & Mad Spida

9

|"Temple"

|Pras & Wyclef Jean; Co-Producer: Khalis Bayyan

|Lauryn Hill,Wyclef Jean & Pras Michel

10

|"How Hard Is It?"

|Khalis Bayyan, Pras & Wyclef Jean

|Wyclef Jean, Pras Michel & Lauryn Hill

11

|"Harlem Chit Chat" (Interlude)

|

|Rashad Muhammad

12

|"Some Seek Stardom"

|Rashad Muhammad & Stephen Walker

|Lauryn Hill

13

|"Giggles"

|Pras & Wyclef Jean; Co-Producers: Khalis Bayyan & Rashad Muhammad

|Pras Michel; chorus: Lauryn Hill

14

|"Da Kid from Haiti" (Interlude)

|

|Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean & Pras Michel

15

|"Refugees on the Mic"

|Pras & Wyclef Jean; Co-Producer: Khalis Bayyan

|Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean & Pras Michel

16

|"Living Like There Ain't No Tomorrow"

|Pras & Wyclef Jean

|Wyclef Jean

17

|"Shout Outs from the Block"

|

|Wyclef Jean, Lauryn Hill, Pras Michel & uncredited guests

18

|"Nappy Heads" (Remix)

|Salaam Remi

|Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean & Pras Michel

Charts

{{col-begin}}

{{col-2}}

=Weekly charts=

class="wikitable sortable"
Chart (1994)

!Peak
position

UK Album Charts

|align="center"|122

{{album chart|BillboardRandBHipHop|62|artist=Fugees|album=Blunted on Reality|refname=BillboardTopRnB|accessdate=31 May 2013}}

{{col-2}}

=Singles=

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"

|+ List of chart performances of all singles from album

! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:20em;" | Title

! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Year

! scope="col" colspan="10" | Peak chart positions

scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;" | US
{{cite magazine | url={{BillboardURLbyName|artist=fugees|chart=Hot 100}} | title=Fugees – Chart History: Hot 100 | publisher=Prometheus Global Media | magazine=Billboard | access-date=May 31, 2013}}

! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;" | US
R&B
{{cite magazine | url={{BillboardURLbyName|artist=fugees|chart=R&B/Hip-Hop Songs}} | title=Fugees – Chart History: R&B/Hip-Hop Songs | publisher=Prometheus Global Media | magazine=Billboard | access-date=May 31, 2013}}

! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;" | UK
{{cite web | url=http://zobbel.de/cluk/CLUK_F.HTM | title=Chart Log UK: Adam F. – FYA | publisher=Tobias Zywietz | work=Zobbel.de | access-date=May 31, 2013 | author=Zywietz, Tobias | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120717091535/http://www.zobbel.de/cluk/CLUK_F.HTM | archive-date=2012-07-17 | url-status=live }}

scope="row" | "Boof Baf"{{cite web | url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/mw0000107106 | title=Boof Baf [Vinyl Single] – Fugees > Overview | publisher=Rovi Corporation | work=AllMusic | access-date=September 8, 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160114220722/http://www.allmusic.com/album/mw0000107106 | archive-date=2016-01-14 | url-status=live }}

| 1993

| — || — || —

scope="row" | "Nappy Heads"

| rowspan="2" | 1994

| 49 || 52 || 172

scope="row" | "Vocab"{{Ref label|note_a1|A
}

| 108 || 91 || —

|}

{{col-end}}

Certifications

{{Certification Table Top}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=France|relyear=1994|certyear=1997|title=Blunted on Reality|artist=Fugees|type=album|award=Gold}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|relyear=1996|certyear=2013|title=Blunted on Reality|artist=Fugees|type=album|award=Silver|id=11516-1158-2}}

{{Certification Table Bottom}}

Notes

  • A {{Note|note_a1}} "Vocab" did not enter the Billboard Hot 100, but peaked at number 8 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart, which acts as an extension to the Hot 100.{{cite magazine | url={{BillboardURLbyName|artist=fugees|chart=Bubbling Under Hot 100}} | title=Fugees – Chart History: Bubbling Under Hot 100 | publisher=Prometheus Global Media | magazine=Billboard | access-date=February 20, 2013}}

References

{{Reflist}}

Further reading

  • {{cite book| author = Brian Coleman | title = Check the Technique | publisher = Random House | year = 2007 | isbn = 978-0-8129-7775-2}}

{{The Fugees}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:1994 debut albums

Category:Fugees albums

Category:Columbia Records albums

Category:Albums produced by Salaam Remi

Category:Albums produced by Wyclef Jean